Prof tells class he won't debate Shapiro, suggests MMA fight

A sociology professor at the University of California, Merced recently told students that he would not be willing to debate Ben Shapiro, but would enjoy “ripping this fool’s shoulder out of his socket.”

Noting that some of the students might be "connected" to the effort to bring Shapiro to campus, the instructor asked if they would instead help to arrange "some sort of an MMA thing between me and him."

A sociology professor at the University of California, Merced is calling for a charity fight between him and a conservative journalist Ben Shapiro ahead of an upcoming event in February.

Three unique audio recordings obtained by Campus Reform depict a university lecturer, identified by students as Fernando Cortes Chirino, ranting that Shapiro is an “a**hole white supremacist” and boasting that he would enjoy “ripping this fool’s shoulder out of his socket.”

"Members of the UC Merced College Republicans were repeatedly called ‘white supremacists’ and ‘fascists’."

“I wouldn’t debate him, because being in the same room as that fool is putting this nonsense fascist ideologue on equal footing with me, using my real degree to legitimize garbage politics that are at best nonsensical,” Chirino told the class.

“However, I love how the liberal media is setting this guy up as a gladiator who battles to win young conservatives,” he continued, remarking that “some of you might be connected with some of the conservatives here” who raised $40,000 for the event.

Chirino appeared upset with the media’s portrayal of Shapiro, and told students that he would rather participate in “some sort of an MMA [mixed martial arts] thing between me and him” than debate the conservative journalist in public.

“Gladiator? You should pass this around,” he told the students. “While I won’t debate this fool, why don’t you all set up some sort of an MMA thing between me and him. And then, the winner can take those $40,000 and give them to whatever charity they want…gladiator my ass.”

“I am completely down for this charity match,” the academic continued. “Oh I am completely down with that. I got all day. I wouldn’t enjoy ripping this fool’s shoulder out of his socket? Oh my god, you all don’t know. You all don’t know. For charity!”

Harry Duran, President of the UC-Merced College Republicans, condemned Chirino's remarks, arguing that such rhetoric “destroys the fabric of our intellectual space.”

“The recording of a University of California lecturer stating how they would enjoy inflicting harm upon Ben Shapiro deeply disturbs the College Republicans at UC Merced,” Duran told Campus Reform, pointing out that “Shapiro, [along with] all members of the UC Merced College Republicans, were repeatedly called ‘white supremacists’ and ‘fascists’ during Fernando Chirino's lecture.”

“This spreading of false and harmful information to the students of UC Merced not only labels Republican club members in a horrific fashion, but destroys the fabric of our intellectual space,” he continued, adding that universities and public institutions “should remain platforms for open discourse."

Campus Reform reached out to both Chirino and the university for comment, but had not received responses from either party by press time.

Nikita Vladimirov

Investigative Reporter

Nikita Vladimirov is an Investigative Reporter for Campus Reform. Prior to joining Campus Reform, he wrote for The Hill, where he extensively covered the latest political developments in U.S. and around the world.
Vladimirov's work has appeared on the front pages of The Drudge Report and The Hill, and has been featured by several media organizations including Fox News, MSN, Real Clear Politics and others. He has also appeared as a political commentator on numerous programs, including BBC radio.

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